Salvia plant named ‘Violin Music’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Salvia , ‘Violin Music’, that is characterized by its flowers that are a bright violet in color, its short plant height with an upright and spreading plant habit, and its black-purple calyces and flowering stems.

Botanical classification: Salvia hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Violin Music’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Salvia of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Violin Music’. ‘Violin Music’ is an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

The new Salvia resulted from a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Henansal, France. The Inventor made crosses in 2008 between unnamed proprietary plants of interspecific hybrid origin (Salvia chamaedryoides×Salvia lycoides) in the Inventor's breeding program as both the female and male parents. The characteristics of the parents are unknown as seeds where pooled and sown from several crosses. ‘Violin Music’ was selected as a single unique plant in 2008 from the resulting seedlings of the above crosses.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the Inventor by vegetative stem cuttings in 2009 in Henansal, France. Asexual propagation by vegetative stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Violin Music’ as a unique cultivar of Salvia.

-   -   1. ‘Violin Music’ exhibits flowers that are a bright violet in         color.     -   2. ‘Violin Music’ exhibits a short plant height and an upright         and spreading plant habit.     -   3. ‘Violin Music’ exhibits black-purple calyces and flowering         stems.         ‘Violin Music’ can be most closely compared to typical plants         that are Salvia microphylla×chamaedryoides hybrids and to Salvia         chamaedryoides cultivar ‘Silver Leaves’ (not patented). Typical         plant of Salvia microphylla×chamaedryoides differs from ‘Violin         Music’ in being larger in overall size, in having flowers that         are less bright violet, and in having a less spreading plant         habit. ‘Silver Leaves’ differs from ‘Violin Music’ in having         flowers that are dark purple to black in color and in having         velvet textured leaves that are silver-gray in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of a one year-old plant of the new Salvia as grown in a greenhouse in a 15-cm container in Henansal, France.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of ‘Violin Music’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the flowers of ‘Violin Music’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a leaf of ‘Violin Music’.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Salvia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of one year-old plants of ‘Violin Music’ as grown in a greenhouse in Henansal, France. Plants were grown under average day temperatures ranging from 14° to 30° C. and average night temperatures of 8° to 18° C. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—May to first frost in Henansal, France.         -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant habit.—Broad spreading.         -   Plant size.—Reaches up to 40 cm in height and 70 cm in             spread.         -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 8.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests have been observed.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, non-spreading.         -   Propagation—Vegetative stem cuttings.         -   Growth rate.—Vigorous. -   Stem description:     -   -   Shape.—Very slightly quadrangular, nearly rounded.         -   Stem color.—Upper surface 183B with base 184C, lower surface             147C.         -   Stem size.—Average of 18.2 cm in length and 2 mm in             diameter.         -   Stem strength.—Strong.         -   Stem surface.—Slightly glossy and densely covered with very             short soft hairs, average length is 0.2 mm and 157D in             color, when rubbed the stems give a “sage” like fragrance.         -   Internode length.—Average of 3.1 cm.         -   Branching.—Average of 10 main stems, an average of 6 lateral             braches per main stem. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Ovate.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Rounded to truncate.         -   Leaf apex.—Obtuse.         -   Leaf fragrance.—When rubbed the leaves give a “sage” like             fragrance.         -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, upper surface is 143B in color,             lower surface is 144A in color.         -   Leaf margins.—Slightly crenate and moderately covered with             very short glandular hairs; an average of 0.2 mm in length,             157D in color.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf surface.—Upper and lower surface very slightly rugose,             upper surface slightly glossy and moderately covered with             very short glandular hairs an average length of 0.2 mm, 157D             in color, lower surface dull.         -   Leaf size.—Up to 2.4 cm in length and 1.7 cm in width.         -   Leaf color.—Young leaves; upper surface 143A, lower surface             143B, mature leaves; upper surface N137B, lower surface             137D.         -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 12 (6 pairs).         -   Petioles.—An average of 1 cm in length and 1 mm in diameter,             143B to 143C in color, surface sparsely covered with short             glandular hairs. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal verticillaster, individual             flowers are in whorls of 6.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Approximately 5 days.         -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 11.9 cm in height and 3.4             cm in width.         -   Flower type.—Labiate.         -   Flower number.—An average of 54 per vertillicaster.         -   Flower fragrance.—None.         -   Flower buds.—Obovate in shape, about 1.1 cm in length and 4             mm in diameter, color; 144C upper side striped 202A with top             of immature petals N89A.         -   Flower size.—About 2.3 cm in depth and about 1.5 cm in width             (horizontal) and 1.8 cm in height (vertical).         -   Peduncle.—An average of 11.1 cm in length and 1.5 mm in             width, held straight on top of lateral branch, strong in             strength, color; N186A, surface densely covered with very             short soft hairs.         -   Pedicels.—About 4 mm in length and 0.71 mm in diameter, held             at an average angle of 20°, strong in strength, N189B in             color, surface densely covered with very short soft hairs.         -   Calyx.—Campanulate in shape, average of 1.1 cm in length, 3             mm in width (horizontal) and 6 mm in height (vertical).         -   Sepals.—3, campanulate in arrangement, narrow obovate in             shape with lower 70% fused, entire margin, acute apex,             cuneate base fused into tube, an average of 1.1 cm in length             and 2 mm in width, upper and lower surface is dull and             covered with very short glandular hairs, average of 0.1 mm             in length and 156D in color, color: immature upper (inner)             side; 146C with base 146D, immature lower (outer) side;             144C, upper side striped 202A, top of immature petals N89A,             mature upper (inner) side; 146C striped with 146D, mature             lower (outer) side; 144C, upper side striped 202A, top of             immature petals N89A.         -   Petals.—2, labiate, arranged in 2 lips, lower 65% fused into             tube at base, upper and lower lip surface glabrous and dull,             upper lip; broad elliptic and folded in shape, entire             margin, retuse apex, 2.3 cm in length and 3 mm in width,             lower lip; broad spathulate in shape, entire margin with two             lobes, retuse apex, 2.8 cm in width and 1.5 mm in length,             tube; 1.2 cm in length and 3.5 mm in width, color of upper             and lower lips: when opening upper (inner) side; upper lip             N87A, lower lip N87B with base N87A, basal spot on lower lip             and inside of tube N88D, when opening under (outer) side;             upper lip N88D, lower lip N87 with base and tube a blend of             N88D and 91C, when fully open upper (inner) side; upper lip             N87A, lower lip N87B with base N87A, basal spot on lower lip             and inside of tube N88D, when fully open lower (outer) side;             upper lip N88D, lower lip N87B with base and tube a blend of             N88D and 91C. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, an average of 2.1 cm in length, style             is 1.9 cm in length and NN155D in color, stigma is cleft (2             parted) and 90B in color, ovary is 145D in color.         -   Androcoecium.—2 stamens, filaments are NN155D in color and 8             mm in length, anthers are dorsifixed and narrowly elliptic             in shape, an average of 1.5 mm in length and N199A in color,             pollen is moderate in quantity and 14A.         -   Fruit and seed.—No fruit or seeds detected to date, plants             have been observed to be sterile. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Salvia plant named ‘Violin Music’ as herein illustrated and described. 